Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Vigilante Vigilante: The Battle For Expression

Hello PublicAdCampaign readers. I rarely post anything which asks for donations to this site because it just makes me feel uncomfortable. That said, a while back I was interviewed for an upcoming documentary film called Vigilante Vigilante: The Battle For Expression. I am unsure if I made the final cut but I am sure that this will be an incredibly interesting film made simply by the persistent and unflinching efforts of the filmmakers. Read below for a description of the film and if you can, donate a few bucks. Understanding our relationship to our public environment and the democratic and shared nature of that space is an important part of developing a healthy city of the future. Investigations like these are unusual and yet incredibly important. Thank you to all those involved in the film for your hard work. [Trailer]

As you may have heard, I've been working on a feature documentary for the last two years. The film is an investigation into the phenomenon of "anti-graffiti vigilantes" and the wider cultural battle around graffiti and street art. It may sound a bit obscure, but we feel that it's a unique approach to a timely topic and a compelling exposé of some very eccentric characters. Ultimately, the film is about tolerance and free expression and creating conversations about how we all share the same public space. For more background on the film and a trailer, you can check us out online:

Up to this point, the film has been entirely self-funded by myself and and my friend/producer Nate Wollman. We've got a very solid 85 minute cut that is getting great responses and starting to generate interest. Our aim is to finish completely in the next 3 months. But there are a few major expenses that we'll need to cover, including the final stages of editing, color grading, music rights, and a studio sound mix. All of this stuff can be very expensive and we're currently running a "crowdfunding" campaign on kickstarter.com with the goal of raising $8000 over the next four weeks. We're already up to $1340, but if we don't reach our goal by April 7, we won't get any of the funds!

Self-promotion and appealing for money do not come naturally to me, but I do feel that this is a worthy project that many people will enjoy and find to be both insightful and entertaining. If you could spare a few bucks or maybe more, every cent is appreciated. If we just got $10 from all of our friends and fans, we could probably reach our goal. Even if you can't donate, just passing on the link to some friends who might be interested would be a great help.

We have some excellent rewards for donating--everything from a DVD of the finished film for just $25 to an EXECUTIVE PRODUCER credit for $2000. Check out the rest of the goodies and a little video we put together on our Kickstarter page: